CLEVELAND — Wednesday's game against the New York Knicks was a hard-fought contest for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but after battling back from a 15-point deficit and going on to win 124-105, Cleveland got even closer to clinching the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Cavs entered the game with the magic number to clinch the one-seed—and home-court advantage in the playoffs—set at four. That was a combination of the Cavs' wins and the Boston Celtics' losses.
New York gave the Cavs a challenge, bringing playoff energy and physicality to the game, but ultimately, the Cavs were able to regain control, getting everyone involved in the comeback effort.
Donovan Mitchell led the way with 27 points, six rebounds, five assists, three blocks and a steal. Jarrett Allen had a massive game (and one massive block of Karl-Anthony Towns) with 21 points, eight rebounds and a steal.
Isaac Okoro came up big for Cleveland with his 11 points and six rebounds, while De'Andre Hunter put up 16 points, Evan Mobley put up 13 and Darius Garland scored 21.
With their win, the Cavs got their magic number for the No. 1 seed down to three. But shortly after their game ended, they got a little extra help from the Celtics.
Boston had their nine-game winning streak snapped by the Miami Heat Wednesday night. The Celtics' 124-103 loss took the Cavs' magic number down to just two.
Both the Cavs and Celtics play again on Friday: the Cavs against the Spurs on the road and the Celtics against the Suns at home. That day alone could see the Cavs clinch, but Cleveland has six games left to make it happen themselves.
